A Little Shower Shy
by AndrewTheDankMemeFuck
Summary: There’s a new counselor at Camp Campbell and he seems to have caught Campbell’s eye. Nsfw is to be expected, eventually. Appearances from a friend’s OC named Shilo. (She is grumpy with pink hair and only likes spending time with Jackson)
1. Shower Mishaps

Part 1:

Jackson woke up early that morning. It was definitely intended. His showers were always early so as to avoid showering with any of the other men. There were only three people at that camp that knew his secret and he knew they'd keep it. Max, who was a lot quicker to pick up on things being amiss, Shilo, his newest best friend, and David, kind and gentle. David had hired him and all of Jackson's paperwork still had his assigned birth gender in it for legality. David swore to secrecy, with zero favor in return. The same couldn't be said for Max. He would owe him something, eventually.

As he stepped into the open shower room for the adults, Jackson pulled his shirt from his body, stretching out his arms as he did so. It was still so freeing to be topless, even if no one was around to see his flat chest. He sighed breathing in the steamy air. Wait-... STEAMY?! Jackson looked around the room, praying to God it was David showering, but in front of him, instead, was a tall, muscular Cameron Campbell, stark naked and washing his pits, "Hey, kiddo! Don't be shy. We're both men, here. You can take the other-" before the man could even finish, Jackson was clumsily gathering his things and bolting away from the situation.

Just as Cameron exited the shower, still drying his hair, shirtless and a little wet, Jackson returned to the showers, holding onto David and looking at the ground. Campbell looked confused, "Is... he alright, Davey."

"Oh! Yeah-yeah. He's just really shy. He's asked me to stand guard at the door while he showers." David said with a yawn, ushering him inside and leaning against the door.

Jackson felt bad that he woke David up for something so silly, but he was terrified of being judged or misgendered, especially since he really liked this place. He just hoped no one would be too mad at him when he went about his activities today.

Jax stepped out of the showers just a few moments later, giving David a thumbs up to get a little more rest before the kids woke up. Even if David was out for a while, Jackson WAS hired as a vigilant assistant. He could control it. He'd dealt with more than a hundred children at a time. He could more than handle the few allowed to be at this fixer-upper camp.

During breakfast. The kids were slow, sluggish, like they'd been out past their bedtimes again. This was good for Jackson. It meant time to relax at breakfast and sitting down to enjoy his gluten free toast. It had to be gluten free. He had an intolerance to it. But the strawberry jam on top was perfect the way it was. No change necessary. When he took a bite, some of the jam ended up on his uniform shirt, making him groan. He was about to stand up when a large hand entered his peripherals, making him jump away before he realized it was Campbell with a napkin.

"You're a little wary of people, huh?" The man asked, taking a seat next to him. Jackson took the napkin and wiped his shirt, sad that it still left an ugly stain, the strawberry pink leaving almost a brown color behind on the green shirt. He groaned again. The young man looked to Campbell and nodded. He could agree to that. He had good reason, but it wasn't like he was gonna share his entire life to the man. They barely knew each other, "Looked at the schedule Davey had planned for today..." Cameron spoke again, "Your shift ends a little early. Come on by my cabin and we can share a drink. I like learning about the new employees." He patted Jackson's back, making the young man think. He did recall Shilo had an evening like that with Campbell. She came out okay from it.

"Okay! Yeah! Let's-... Let's hang out tonight! I-I-I can't wait!" The young man beamed at Campbell, smile wide and baby blues even wider. His smile soon faded, however, seeing an odd look on the other man's face, "Did I-... do something wrong?"

Campbell shook his head, waving off the comment with one of his huge hands, "Pfff- Nah, kid. I just... zoned out."

That was a lie. It had to be. Jackson was usually pretty confused, but he was an expert at zoning out. And he never focused on someone's face when he zoned out. It was always down or at an open window. He wasn't sure why Campbell was lying, but he supposed maybe there was a good reason, "S-See you tonight?" He asked, tilting his head, blinking slow.

Campbell nearly pushed the table a foot when he stood up, "YES! Six tonight! Good. I'll make food to eat! Enjoy your breakfast!" He spoke abruptly, exiting the building loud enough to make Gwen give a look of confusion over to Jax. He could only shrug. He had no clue what was up.


	2. Casual Dinner

Part 2:

Jackson knocked on the door to Campbell's cabin before stepping inside. Right at six. He was never late... until he was. The young man looked around, no longer wearing his camp uniform, but rather a pink tank top which severely contrasted with his hair color, unlike the green that mixes with it, "Hey- Woah. You... changed?" Asked Campbell, getting up a little foldable table for the other as he looked at him.

"Mm-hm!! I needed to wash the shirt 'cause of this morning." Jackson said with a smile, taking a seat in one of the chairs he had set up.

"Bold color." Campbell pointed out.

"That's silly." Jackson chuckled, making the older man raise a brow as if to ask him why he'd say that, "Colors are just colors. I'd say, since they were on the planet first, they'd be rather offended at that... if they were sentient, I mean. Maybe you're being the bold one." That innocent, but thoughtful statement made Cameron stifle a chuckled before a roaring laughter escaped him. He held his stomach. It very much reminded Jackson of images of Santa, "What did I do?"

"You spoke your mind, son! I like that!" He admitted, laying out two bowls in front of the blue haired young man. One of them was some sort of chicken noodle soup, but with shell noodles like that was all the man had to work with and the other had what looked like it was supposed to be some sort of dessert. Maybe mousse? Cake that wasn't baked all the way? Melted ice cream? Jax wiggled the bowl, clearly perplexed by it, "It's a chocolate jello mixture. Taught to me by my mother." Campbell said proudly.

"Oh... neat!"

Campbell frowned, "If you don't want it-"

"I do! I said it was neat, dude."

The man chuckled, setting out two drinking glasses of what looked like whiskey. One for each of them, "People don't usually say that sincerely." He said, chugging his cup before pouring more for himself. Jackson tried a taste, but ended up choking on it, coughing and patting his chest, "What's wrong, kid? This shit is smooth."

"What an interesting word to use there." Jax replied encouragingly, almost like a teacher to a student, "But might I suggest a word on the opposite end of that spectrum? Maybe... fiery? Hellbent? Or might I just even further suggest, not fucking smooth at all! Jesus! This could knock out my grandad! And he's the toughest guy I know!" Campbell smirked as he took a long drink, pouring himself more. Jax took another sip, a little more prepared and taking precautions as it went down so he didn't cough again, "So... is this what we're doing? Eating, drinking, casual quips?" He asked, leaving the older man a little stunned at how adorably snippy he was.

"Spending too much time with Gretchen?"

"Her name is Gwen and no. Shilo." Jackson corrected, taking a few long sips of the broth in his soup. It was pretty good. He wondered if this was also homemade or if he just threw some store broth onto some macaroni noodles and called it a day. Both seemed likely.

"Anyway... no. Not just for quips, but I was hoping to loosen us both up so I could ask you about this morning." Oh, fuck! He'd almost forgotten about this morning. Jackson looked away, face turning red, partly from alcohol, but mostly out of embarrassment, "Have you never shared a shower before?"

"I once shared a bath with the neighbor kid when I was a baby..." he said softly, "But, no... I haven't been around too many other naked men. I got... freaked out..." this was partially true. The reason was skirted over casually, but that was definitely intentional, "It wasn't you... I'm just... shy. I don't trust people as far as I can throw them and... well... do I look I can throw anyone bigger than Nikki?"

"We can work on that. With the right exercises, you could bulk up and-" Campbell paused, noticing the deadpan expression on Jackson's face, "Not your point. Got it. I just... never took you for shy. You're a real uhhh... go getter when you're with the brats. You're always talking to them and teaching them."

"Children always tell you how they feel..." Jax looked away, rubbing his arm and pointing his gaze to the floor, "Adults never do..." he whispered. Campbell's expression went from curious to soft. Jax looked at him and felt his face heat up, wondering what the older man could be thinking about him, "I-I'm sorry! You didn't want this dinner to get all... blah! It's sad! Sorry! I-I-I-"

"Relax, squirt!" Campbell spoke in a half-commanding tone, causing Jackson to stop speaking, "You're hiding something... and I suppose if it's enough to make you this... mopey, maybe you should just... drink and change the subject. I don't fucking need to know that bad, kid." Grumbled the man, trying to sound annoyed, but Jackson wasn't buying it. He wouldn't have asked if he didn't care.

For a moment, the two were silent, sipping at their drinks and eating their food. When Jax finally spoke, he regretted it instantly, "You looked good... in the shower, I mean." Fuck. This was why he stopped drinking after the novelty of it wore off. Those words caused Campbell to spit out the spoonful of soup in his mouth. It was his turn to cough from surprise, patting his chest, hard.

"What?!" The man asked, eyes wide.

"What...?" Jax returned the question, face beat red, but acting like he hadn't said what he'd clearly just said.

"Y-... What?" Campbell repeated, leading to a sort of confused stare down between the two. Campbell wondering if what he heard was real and Jax legit just wanting to die.

Another moment later and Jax stood up, stretching upwards, belly poking out slightly as his shirt raised and pretending to yawn as he looked over at the clock, "Hoo boy! I am-...I'm just stuffed. How about I-... take my desert with me and I'll put the bowl in the kitchen! First thing tomorrow!" Jackson gathered himself quickly, just like he had in the shower, but this time, he was far more embarrassed, for some reason.

Campbell watched the young man scramble, no doubt noticing his eyes water slightly as his nose and cheeks began to redden. Or maybe he didn't. He had drank much more than Jackson. Maybe he was completely oblivious. As the young man was about to exit the cabin, a large hand grabbed his wrist and caused him to spin his head to face the other. They locked eyes for a moment that seemed much longer, but really only lasted about a second before Campbell let go of Jax, still watching as the young man wiped his eyes and turned to walk out the door. He'd left his dessert behind..


	3. A Softer Side of Campbell

Part 3:

Once in his tent, Jackson didn't really cry like he thought he would. A few stress tears escaped him, but he was okay. He even felt a little silly running off like that. Why on God's green earth did he say Campbell looked good in the shower? Sure, he did, but Jax knew better. That wasn't something you told someone just casually unless you know them super well. Jax groaned loudly, burying his face in his knees and hoping to forget once the alcohol wore off enough. It must've been some strong shit, though. Even after an hour of sitting there, Jax was absolutely still buzzed. Either he was too small for as much as he drank or... well... the first sentiment, again. Strong shit. The young man decided, after another minute of waiting, that this was the kind of buzz you slept off. He laid back, pulled off his ugly uniform shorts and laid there in his tank and boxers, waiting for sleep to come.

Just as Jackson began to feel his eyes drift, he heard a knock on the wooden platform of his tent. He was about to ask who it was, but it wasn't much of a mystery as Campbell peaked his head in. There they were again. That awkward fucking stare while one waited for the other to speak. This time, it was Campbell, "You never... tried the jello. I was... hoping you would." He said softly, clearing his throat. Jax threw a blanket over his lower half and nodded his head to give the man permission to step inside. It was a peaceful spot. Far away from most things, while being close enough to know if there was something wrong with the children if they screamed.

It was suddenly silent again as Jackson took the bowl and spoon provided and began to eat. It was... good. Really good. He was impressed that something so ugly could be so tasty. Jackson looked over to Cameron, who seemed to be eager to know what he thought... or maybe he had a question? "I-... I like it. Thank you for coming back. I felt bad for-"

"Don't say it..." Campbell cut him off, leaving Jackson tilting his head raising his brow, "I'm the one that got you drunk. I shouldn't be shocked to hear you say what was on your mind."

"It wasn't... not really. A little, but it just popped out! I wasn't even thinking about it until you mentioned the shower... so, really this is-"

"My fault?" Campbell interrupted again. Was his face closer? It seemed closer, "Why was that the first thing out of your mouth after I brought it up? I'm curious... what stood out from what you saw of me?"

"Stop!" Jackson laughed, setting the bowl aside, "You made your point. It was silly, to-" Once again, the young man was cut off, but it wasn't word that made his mouth cease moving. It was the fact that Cameron had taken his wrist again, gently caressing where he'd grabbed earlier. Jackson stared at him, his face looked.. so sad, "You didn't... hurt me... if you're wondering..."

"Didn't I?" Campbell gulped, "I didn't say anything before you left... The look on your face..." he looked away. Jackson understood. Men in his day weren't taught to speak their feelings. It wasn't manly. He was embarrassed, but it would take an arm and a leg just for him to admit such a thing. Or at least... he assumed if last experiences were a teacher at all.

"What about it? My face, I mean." He teased, smiling just a little, making the older man chuckle and sigh, "You mean... the tears." He stated seriously, "I was just, like, embarrassed. But, uh, you-... You looked like you wanted to say something back there, though." Jax encouraged, "Whatever you want to say isn't stupid... it can't be. You're THE great Cameron Campbell."

The silver hair man sighed, "I was going to ask you to stay longer." He admitted, biting his his lip, "So... about that shower." He was really back on that? "What part of me did you see that had you worked up?"

"It's not a part of you. I-It's a part of me." He gulped, "I'm not like you. I don't have a-... a-... God! Why is this so hard?" His eyes began to tear up again. This time, he wouldn't be able to shed a few tears and be done. Jax sniffled and held onto Campbell's hand like his life depended on it, "I'm sorry... I can't-!" His shoulders hunched, hands shaking, "Can't you just figure out what I mean?! Can we just... skip the part where I come out?!" He asked rather aggressively, hiccuping.

Campbell froze. His face was stuck in a state of shock for a good minute as he watched the other sob. This was really a huge deal to him, "P-Please stop. Stop stressing, kid.. Like I said. We're both men. Nothing to be ashamed of." He whispered against Jackson's ear, making the young man shiver before he backed away.

Jackson felt his stress melt away in an instant. His eyes flooded with tears faster than he was able to wipe them, but all was okay. Still holding his hand, Jax laid against Campbell, closing his eyes and finally letting the drunken sleep hit him. A good cry seemed to be what his brain needed before everything faded to black besides Campbell holding his hand and rubbing his back. He didn't know Campbell could be so caring. Just like his dessert. Old and tough on the outside, but really sweet inside.


	4. A Second Chance

Part 4:

Jax wasn't sure how long he was out for, dreaming about things he'd never remember, come morning. He only woke at the sound of a knock at his platform again, sitting up and rubbing his eyes. The sun was at just the right angle that he could see the dark silhouette of someone standing at his tent. Tall, skinny, zero curves. David. The young man combed his hair quickly with his fingers, threw on his shorts and slipped on his extra Camp Campbell shirt before stepping out and hissing at the sunlight.

"Well, good morning! I came to see if you needed another escort to the shower, today!" David offered, frowning as he looked at him, "Are you... feeling okay?"

Jackson was squinting as he looked at David. His eyes had always been sensitive to light, but hangovers didn't exactly help that, "I'm fine. Campbell knows now. He seemed cool with it." Said the young man, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a pair of sunglasses to wear for the time being. The sun was at that odd angle in the morning where it was always right in your eyes.

"I-... Really?" David seemed to be a little shocked by that, "He's always been... fairly conservative, but maybe that's changed along with his epiphany he had before turning himself in." David shrugged, "Just... be careful. He's probably not up to anything, but in case he... well... is... I want you to be safe." David ruffled Jackson's hair before going to the counselor's cabin, probably to finish the day's schedule based on the updated weather report.

Before Jackson made his way to the showers, he grabbed a pair of swim trunks. Sure, all the men at camp knew, but he'd be damned if he wasn't still self conscious about it. It wasn't a huge deal, but as he stepped in the shower room, he saw that it was empty. This relieved him quite a bit. He hated being social in the morning before he took his anxiety meds.

After a moment, he had his trunks on and his hair was lathered with soap, some of it dripping down his chest and back, "Well. Someone doesn't have a guard today, I see." Came a booming voice, echoing in the walls of the building. Jax knew who it was and he tensed up, "Swim shorts? In the shower?"

Jax opened one eye, looking at the man before closing it back, "Three in one conditioner, shampoo, and body wash? Ever?" He retorted with the same tone and inflection as the one Campbell had just used.

"What's wrong with three in one." The older man defended before Jackson used his foot to slide his shower bag to the man.

"Use mine. Shampoo first, conditioner next, only a dime of the conditioner. Put it on your stache, too. Before I shaved, it did wonders for my beard. Feel free to use my body wash, too. I have a lot. Got them on sale."

"Thanks..." Campbell lifted up the bottles, reading them over before shrugging and stripping down, zero fear of being seen, it seemed, "You had a beard?"

"Yeah. Didn't work well with my face shape, though." Jax responded, opening his eyes and running his hands through his hair to make sure all the soap was out, "Does that surprise you?"

"I suppose not. The rest of you seems to have a decent amount of hair on you. You must have good genes."

"Actually, I'm the only man in my family with this much hair. My dad has like no hair and it's the same with my brother. I was just... lucky." Jax chuckled, pulling his bag back to him and reaching for the body wash. He always did conditioner last to make the hair on his body nice and soft. Jax began to wash his face first, moving down to his neck and chest, completely unaware of the eyes that were on him as he did. Campbell was idly washing himself as he was distracted by the rather petite man in front of him. Something about him. Rather muscular arms and chest. Defined calves. Flat stomach with quite a bit of hair all over him. Jackson was good looking. Even if he didn't know it.

After making sure every hair in his body was soft and fluffy, Jax turned off the shower drying his hair bits at a time to get the most moisture out, "Can I make you something?" The younger man asked, smile on his face.

"W-What?" Responded Campbell.

"For breakfast. I appreciate the dinner you put together last night. What can I do for you? I can heat up some toast and cover it in sugar and cinnamon for you~!" Jackson was excited to repay the man for everything he'd done the night previous.

Campbell blinked, seemingly processing that someone wanted to willingly make him breakfast, "That... sounds great..." he responded lightly, as if waiting for a catch. There was none. At the response, Jax have him a thumbs up, wrapping his towel around his mid section, using it to hide the shorts slipping off his body and also throw his boxers on, all without being seen. He'd clearly had a bit of practice at this. After this, Jackson threw on his freshly clean uniform, now stain free. Showered and in clean clothes, he was ready to start his day!

"Oki-doke! I'll meet you in a bit with some cinnamon toast. Drop my bag off at my tent when you're done, please!" Was the last thing he called to the man before walking off, whistling 'Piano Man' as he strolled to breakfast to make food and take his meds.


	5. The Lunch Incident

Part 5:

It was close to lunch time for everyone and Jackson was given permission to run craft time today. Jackson was super prepared to teach them how to turn regular floor tiles into gorgeous coasters. He'd already spent the day gluing felt to nearly fifty shiny floor tiles and brought out every sharpie they owned, along with rubbing alcohol put into a dropper. The plan was to have the kids draw colors on the top of the tiles and drip the alcohol on them. This would cause a chemical reaction to the sharpies and it would make a really neat dripping effect! He'd spent weeks putting this together just for today. After this kids were done, he would put a thick coat of sealant on the tiles and they'd be perfect coasters.

Campbell was also assigned to crafts, but seemed less... excited than the younger man. He mostly just watched the table and kept any kids from wandering off while Jax had an absolute blast helping the children create their masterpieces, "Wow, Dolph! Interesting usage of drips! I never would've thought to turn the tile back and forth to make squiggles!" He pressed his palms to the cheeks of the little boy as he smiled at him. Dolph seemed to adore the praise.

Each child had their own artistic spin to what they wanted to create. Nerris made a wizard, only using the drip method for the powers shooting from his wand. Harrison didn't do the drip method at all. He just drew cats and tigers. As each child had something new to present, the look of sheer joy on Jackson's face forced Campbell to crack a genuine smile. David cared for these kids, but the innocence and sheer wonderment in Jackson's eyes. Sometimes David had to force an emotion around the kids, but Jackson wasn't afraid to hide his feelings around them. It was the most in his element he'd ever seen the other.

"Alright, guys!" Jax clapped his hands together loudly, getting the attention of the children, "Finish up what you're doing! It's almost lunch tiiiiime!" He called, doing a goofy shoulder dance and clearly stoked to eat, just as much as they were. Campbell, looked at Jackson with wide eyes as the young man took his index and middle fingers into his hand, "Come on. Let's go with the kids. All the stuff is sealed. No need to wait around and starve." Encouraged the blue haired man, still riding that emotional high of a good craft time.

Cameron rubbed the back of his neck, looking away and Jax wondered what could be making him seem so... embarrassed, all of a sudden, "Sure, kid." He agreed as Jackson tugged him along. He pondered as to why such a big man would let Jax tug him around, but pushed the thought aside as they stepped into a mess hall of chaos.

Food was flying, trays were soaring, kids were laughing maniacally as they flung themselves onto other children. David, Gwen, and Shilo seemed to be trying to stop what they could get to as Jax rushed in to help. From what he could gather, it seemed like another scheme of Max's.

Jackson tried his best to pull Nikki off of space kid while she tried to bite into his head bowl, "Nikki, calm d-OW!!! Fucking-!!" He screamed as she turned her chompers over to him, instead, leaving a bite mark on his arm that broke through the skin where her canines sank in. He was even stopped from scolding her as a tray piled with mashed potatoes slammed right into his face. Thank god for those potatoes. He didn't even feel the hard tray.

It took about a few minutes, but the kids seemed to calm down after a bit, resuming whatever meals they had left on their plates and leaving the counselors in a state of shock and horror. Jackson had spent those few minutes mostly helping until he got a face full of food. So that last thirty seconds was mostly just him scraping shit off his face, "I have potatoes in my eyes!" Shouted Jax, sniffling and unable to see as he tried to wipe his face with his hands, arm bleeding from the two little puncture holes Nikki left in him.

Next thing the man knew, he was being hoisted up rather effortlessly onto the shoulder of someone very large, "I'll take care of him!" Said a booming voice that Jax knew rather well, by now.

"Where are we going?" He asked, still wiping at his face in a bit of a panic as he felt the tops of the potatoes hardening around his eyes.

"Don't rub. You'll get it in deeper." Commanded the man, forcing Jax to let his arms hang along Campbell's back, "We're going to the bathroom and washing your eyes out before you go blind. I have no idea what Quartermaster puts in those shady potatoes."

"P-Potatoes, maybe?"

"Doubt it." He said, opening the first aid kit near the bathrooms and pulling out things he needed to clean Jackson's wound, as well.

Eventually, the young man felt his body jerk forward and his ass was now on a toilet seat. Yup. Bathroom. Campbell wet a few paper towels down, folding them and resting them on his knee, kneeling down on the other. As he pressed it to Jackson's face, Jax jumped a little out of surprise. The older man gently began wiping away the food, working his way from the outside, in. Each touch was a soft stroke, careful not to push too hard or peel roughly as anything stuck.

With his last paper towel, Campbell wiped even more gently at Jackson's eyes, getting the last little bit out and the man felt instant relief as he opened them. There were red, a little puffy from the wiping, despite how gentle it was, "There ya go, kid. Good as new." Said Campbell as he took Jackson's chin and began to swivel his head to check for any real damage to his eyes. Jackson assumed he was fine when Campbell let go and took his arm into his large hand, gently wiping the blood away with some rubbing alcohol. The young man hissed, tearing up, "Relax. I don't know where Girl Neil has been. This is necessary." Campbell said sternly.

As the other cleaned and dressed a wound that really wasn't all too bad, Jackson was confused to find himself blushing. He felt special. He hadn't seen The Great Cameron Campbell take care of anyone else this way. So when Campbell placed a hand on the wrapped wound, likely to show that it was a sturdy wrap, Jackson placed his hand on top of his, wrapping it around Campbell's fingers. They two both looked up at he same time, Jackson's heart beating fast and his breath quickening. He couldn't, for the life of him, understand why he was feeling this way, but here he was.

Campbell lifted a hand, holding Jackson's cheek in it as he leaned a little closer. The young man's heart was beating so fast and hard, he could hear it in his ears. His face was red as a beet, but the moment Campbell closed the gap between them, his heart stopped, pressing their lips together as the hand on his cheek moved its thumb back and forth. Jackson closed his eyes, Campbell following suit as the kiss deepened.

The older man wrapped a sturdy hand around Jackson's waist as he moved to both knees and got closer to the other. This was unusual for Jackson. It felt bold and reckless, but something about the whiskey taste to his lips made him never want to stop. He wondered if this was the right thing to do. He wondered if Cameron would regret it later. But this did also explain why he'd made Jackson feel so special each time they were together. A lot of questions were answered with just this simple kiss.

Jackson parted his lips a little, lifting his hands to Campbell's hair before the older man gently pulled out of the kiss, breathing heavy. He was a little disappointed that it had to end, but he knew what it meant. If they stayed here any longer, someone would be checking on them. And they couldn't be seen this way. Not before they even knew what was going on, "Come on... let's go eat." Campbell said, standing up and leaving Jackson so he could throw out all the used up supplies.

"O-Okay, sir..." The young man responded, following the heels of Campbell back to the mess hall.


	6. How I Feel

Part 6:

From the moment they kissed, Campbell seemed to be taking steps to avoid Jax. He would walk up to the older man, excited to show him something, only to be either ignored or told to talk to someone else, instead. And as the days went by, Jackson became more and more noticeably distressed about it. Not like a hysterical distress, but the kind that made you tired and sluggish. The light from his eyes fading each night he stayed up from the insomnia the stress brought on.

A week later and Jax only had a few hours of sleep to his name. He was resting his head on tables and sitting whenever there was even a second of down time. Campbell, stubbornly avoiding him, didn't notice until the next time the two shared craft time again. The moment he locked eyes with Jackson, the young man noticed the concern written on his face. He grumbled under his breath in response to it. A little salty that it took so long for him to care. He got that way when he didn't get sleep. At least towards other adults. He never snapped at the kids. Not even now.

Later that evening, after Jax and David were finished shutting things down for the night, Jax went to his tent to lay down for another night of restlessness, thinking about how maybe he shouldn't have kissed Campbell. How he lost a friend because his feelings got in the way. He felt like maybe he should be crying, but it just wasn't coming to him.

A knock came at his cabin like the last two times. He looked at the flaps that were the substitutes for his doors as they opened, revealing Campbell with a bottle of whiskey and and two glasses. Jax was surprised to see him. Enough so that he sat up and tilted his head before frowning at him, "I thought you were done pretending to be my friend." He spat, a little fire in his words as he turned his gaze away.

Campbell pulled the corners of his lips back and scrunched his nose, shoulders raising as his brows went down to reveal an uncomfortable sadness to his expression, "Yeah... I deserved that.."

"You kissed me back and then you avoided me like the plague!" The young man raised his voice, punching Campbell in the arm as he sat down next to him on the bed. Jackson crossed his arms across his chest, his entire face all bunched up.

"I deserved that, too..." Campbell sighed, pouring a glass of whiskey and handing it to the other. He smiled a little as Jackson had to uncross his arms to take it and loosen his face to drink, "You can slap me if you want."

"I don't want to do that!" Jackson said, sounding a little offended, "I'm just-... I'm mad, but I don't want to actually hurt you." He knew the punch he threw wasn't enough to harm the man. He was too small and holding back too much. Jackson took another sip.

Campbell was silent for a moment, taking a long drink from his own glass, watching the young man finish his off so quickly. Understandably, he looked a little shocked, "Then... what do you want, kid?" He asked, putting a hand on Jackson's back.

"Just... To know why?" He admitted, "You liked the kiss! You put a hand on my waist and pulled me closer... And then you avoided me for over a week!" Jackson scanned Campbell's face as he poured the young man another glass of whiskey.

Campbell sighed, "I did like it... a lot. I guess I'm just fucking terrified..."

"...Of what...?" The blue haired man tilted his head to the side, blinking.

"You." He gulped, "You've had me hooked since the day you rushed out of the shower. I'm afraid of what that means..."

Jackson's face heated up, taking a long drink. He gulped it down, clearing his throat before finishing off a second glass. Liquid courage if you will, "Why does it have to mean something this early on?" He asked, "It could just... be a kiss. We can just go with the flow and fuck labels or whatever... I just... have a lot of fun with you and I don't... want that to stop-"

Jackson ceased talking immediately as Campbell's finger went to his face and lifted his chin. That same feeling as before engulfed him. The pounding heart, the quickened breath, but this time, instead of waiting for the man to get closer, he reached his hand to Campbell's shirt and gripped it in his fingers, pulling him as hard as he could and lunging forward. Both actions seemed to catch Campbell off guard as their lips connected again. He grunted a little before grabbing the young man by the waist and pulling him into his lap. This time when Jackson parted his lips, Cameron let out a deep groan, voice gravely as he opened his own mouth and sucking on Jackson's lower lip. Chuckling lowly as Jax jumped, making a small noise. He really wasn't expecting that.

They pressed hard against each other, seeming to be battling for dominance, as if this kiss would have a clear winner. Occasionally, tongues slid along each other. Campbell's was rough. A smoker's tongue. Sexy. Fuck, he was sexy. Both of them were panting into each other's mouths, even lowly moaning on occasion. The one action that finally stopped it was when Campbell put a hand on Jackson's thigh. The younger man gasped and pulled out of the kiss, putting his face against the bigger man's shirt, shaking his head softly.

Campbell stopped what he was doing, putting the hand on the bed, instead, "Okay..." He assured, seeming to understand that Jax was still uncomfortable with this sort of thing. He wrapped an arm around Jackson's back and pulled him in close. Both were still panting, but Jackson kept his face against the other's chest, taking in his scent. A strong and musky cologne. Kinda sexy. He was sure he wasn't wearing this earlier in the day.

With the other resting on him and catching his breath, Cameron laid back, closing his eyes and letting his breaths relax. Jackson found comfort in hearing the steady breathing. Laying down also seemed to help a lot. Those things, mixed with the alcohol he drank, had him fast asleep in a matter of minutes. And this time, Campbell wasn't going anywhere. Maybe he just needed alone time with Campbell in order to get any sleep around here.


	7. Young At Heart

Part 7:

Jackson woke up to his alarm the next morning, needing a shower and by the smell of it, so did Campbell. He patted the man softly on the chest, only half remembering what happened the night previously until he really thought about it. Laid down, Cameron came in, they drank, they talked, they made out-... what happened after that? Jax patted him again, this time, a little harder, shaking him a bit as well until Campbell stirred with a snort, looking around before his eyes landed on Jackson and laying his head back with a sigh, "So that wasn't a dream..." Campbell's voice was raspy as he spoke, "I'm not sure whether to be ecstatic or curse like a sailor."

"That all depends on what happened last night..." Jax gulped, "At a certain point I black out..." He admitted.

"We made out. Then you fell asleep. Then I fell asleep." He said gruffly, "Now let's go back to sleep." The man groaned, attempting to roll over. Jackson sighed. Okay, so he did remember it all. The 'black out' was just him sleeping. That was a huge relief.

"Nope. No, sir. Shower time. We stink." He jumped up off the bed, tugging at Campbell's arm, "And I don't wanna wash my sheets today! I'm too..." he grunted as he pulled on the man, "...lazy!" After laughing, Campbell stood up out of bed and they went to shower across from each other. Just like they had on occasion before. He even used Jax's shampoo instead of his three in one 'basically body wash' bullshit. Jackson was already starting to rub off on him.

Campbell was no longer avoiding Jax, but he could also tell he was trying to make it look like they weren't involved in any way, either. Annoying as it was to keep the secret of 'I'm dating Campbell, but kinda not', Jax understood why it needed to be done. He just... didn't like it.

At lunch time, Jackson plopped down right next to the older man with a tray of food that definitely wasn't camp food. It looked good, but the smell was off, "Pizza?" Asked Campbell, pulling an odd face. The crust looked chewy and difficult to get through as Jackson bit down, struggling to pull his bite from the pizza.

"Gluten free pizza." He said, mouth full and having to close one eye at a time to chew.

"What?!" The man leaned away as if the other were contagious, putting a hand on his chest, "Why would you do that to yourself?!" He proclaimed with horror in his voice.

"I mean..." The young man retorted, "The alternative is bringing real pizza... and spending the next few hours on the toilet with liquid shit." He said smugly, "So... extra chewy pizza it is." Jax smirked as he ate the next bite.

"F-Fair enough..."

After lunch, was free time where all the children got together and played or wandered off close by or whatever they wanted to do. More counselors meant two people could go on break at this time. And those two did, both ending up in Campbell's cabin with the door locked, music playing a little louder than either of them would normally listen to music. This was done on purpose. The two of them were laying down, both of Jackson's wrists pinned to the bed with Campbell's large hand. Though, pinning was maybe too strong a word. It wasn't like Jackson was trying to get away. And if he was, Campbell most definitely wouldn't keep him there.

Jackson was heaving heavily, Campbell's free hand sliding up his shirt, gently touching the top half of his body and letting his fingers run across the muscles slowly, teasing, Jackson squirming a little under him. Cameron bent over, whispering in his ear, "You're sexy~" he smirked, blowing against the ear and making Jax whimper, "Anyone ever told you that you hide too much of your body under big shirts?"

"Sorry. Not into tight clothes and v-necks. Seems a little too gay for me." He joked, directly poking fun of Campbell's outfit and making the larger man laugh loudly before pressing their lips together with a gruff hum. This felt silly and dangerous. Jackson loved it. He almost hoped they didn't ever have to tell anyone. Hiding a secret relationship? This was like some weird romance novel and he wanted more of it.

The two remained on the bed quipping back and forth between sloppy make out sessions until their hour was up and they had to return back to camp, "My tent tonight~?" Jackson tempted, knowing Campbell wouldn't be able to turn down an offer like that.

"You make me feel like a teenager again. I haven't done shit like this in years!" Campbell kissed his forehead before he opened the door to let them both out, returning to their separate ways, for now. Jackson looked forward to tonight.


	8. Meeting at the Tent (NSFW)

Part 8:

As the sun set and the moon rose in the sky, Campbell waited patiently in Jackson's tent. Well it looked patient when Jackson burst through the flaps of the tent, panting, "S-Sorry... Harrison was having a difficult night. He wanted me to tuck him in and then there was a bedtime story and like... I got him a glass of-"

"You're not supposed to spoil the children, Jaxxy. You're just supposed to keep them from dying."

"But... he was so upset. Even your heart would've broken.." he sighed and sat down next to the man before shifting to a laying down position in his lap, "Are you... wearing a new cologne?" Jackson asked, raising a brow.

"And what if I am?" Campbell asked, a little defensive as Jackson sat up a bit to press their lips together lightly.

"You smell good." He admitted, running a hand through the older man's hair, "But why get all gussied up for me? I've seen you hung over after a long sleep. It's not like you have to look special."

"Fucking gussied up?" Campbell chuckled, bending over and planting kisses on his neck, groaning roughly, and planting his lips to his jaw, sucking down a little bit. Hot air escaped Jackson's mouth, panting a little at the attention. As Jax's back arched, his head fell back, Campbell easily supporting his body as he brought the kisses back down his neck, stopping at the collar bone.

The back arch caused his shirt to raise up a little, showing off that adorable stomach. Campbell slid his free hand along it and brought it up to his chest. All things he'd done before. What he hadn't done before, though, was run a finger along the younger man's nipple, lightly moving it in circles and watching his reaction.

The reaction was well worth waiting in the tent for so long. Jackson whimpered and squirmed under him, mouth open, chest rising and falling, fast. Campbell pinched it lightly, rolling it between his large fingers and making himself red in the face as he scanned over Jackson's writhing body. The young man was putty in his hands, "Ngh~ Not Fair!" Jax protested, "I-I'm always... the one b-being teased." His tongue hung out as Campbell chuckled and lifted the shirt off the younger man's body and eased him onto the bed, pinning him like he had earlier that day.

"You tease me all the time. Letting me touch you and make you squirm... getting me hard for you." He panted those words in Jackson's ear before putting his mouth back along his jaw.

"Y-Y-You can get hard? At your age?" Jackson said between very heavy breaths, eyes closing as the man inched further and further down. He moaned as Campbell put a mouth to the nipple he hadn't been playing with earlier, lightly sucking it and flicking it with his rough tongue. Jackson's fingers curled and uncurled in the grasp of the older man as he let out a desperate cry, cracking and breaking in his throat. It was enough to make Campbell stop in his tracks and lift his head, looking at the young man who was staring back with a red face and half-lidded eyes.

They stayed that way, staring at each other for a minute or so, just breathing, Jackson's chest had a few beads of sweat on it, making him glisten in the candlelight. Campbell gulped as he placed a hand on Jackson's thigh, to which the response was the young man spreading his legs, whimpering a little, "You're okay?" Campbell asked softly.

"Y-...You're still gonna see me as a man, right?" Jackson questioned softly, "I-I can't do this if all you see is-"

"You're the manliest son of a bitch, I know, Jaxxy... besides me." Joked Campbell, clearly trying to put the other at ease and it seemed to work well, Jackson smiling and laughing a little at the jest. With the sight of Jackson calming down, Campbell released his wrists to trail that hand along his defined torso, paying extra close attention to the nipples when his hand came back around to them.

Jackson brought his hand to his mouth, putting the knuckle of his index finger between his teeth, hips lifting slightly. Campbell bit his lip for a moment before breathing out hot air from his mouth that shook as it exited. The older man took his hands off Jackson's body, making the young man whine a little until he realized what was happening. Campbell was removing his shirt. Fuck. He was so fucking ripped, "C-Cameron~" he whimpered, moving his hips in a circle, enticing Campbell to come back to him.

That tactic seemed to work well, Campbell coming back to the other man, both hands running along his shirtless torso. One of them, however, began to stray down as Campbell connected their lips, undoing the button of Jackson's shorts so he could fit his hand down. Jackson figured maybe that was for him, rather than Campbell. It would be a way to get used to the touch whilst not being too exposed. Campbell pulled out of the kiss as his hand met with the clitoris. It was bigger than a woman's. He looked at Campbell who seemed a little surprised that it was that way, yet he didn't seem adverse to it. He probably just didn't know what trans men looked like down there until now.

"You're so fucking wet." Campbell said smugly, Jackson's cheeks puffing up in protest of such a lude statement. After a chuckle, Campbell began to move his hand around in a light circle, taking away any negative facial expressions Jackson had planned on keeping. His hips slowly moved with the hand, up and down and in a circle as Campbell stared down at such a beautiful sight.

Without much warning besides his hips moving out of sync and twitching a few times, Jackson cried out loud enough that Campbell had to cover his mouth for him, face bright red as he did, "Holy- Did you just-..." he asked, removing the hand after a moment.

"S-Sorry... I was just excit-HAH!" He was cut off as Campbell lifted Jackson's hips to pull off his shorts and boxers. Jackson covered his face as he did this. He was completely exposed for him and wasn't sure what the other might say.

"Don't apologize for cumming~" he growled, "but try not to scream next time." Campbell licked his lips as he said this, "Fuck, you're a gorgeous man."

While that last bit made his heart flutter, Jackson was a little confused as to what he meant by next time. That was, until the man used his thighs to twist Jackson's lower half off of the bed. Campbell got on his knees, pressing his rough tongue where his hands had just been before wrapping his lips around his swollen clit and bobbed his head lightly.

Jackson shook and writhed before deciding to grip Campbell's hair and just enjoy what was happening. Campbell, on the other hand, wasn't quite satisfied with just his mouth. No. The man lifted his hand and gently began to push his middle finger into the other. He was wet enough now that it slid in under his chin. Jackson gripped his hair harder, pulling it hard and messing it up completely, but all this seemed to do was excite Campbell. He moaned against his clit and pumped the finger, curling it up a little inside him to press against the g-spot.

The two stimulation's together had Jackson bucking his hips against the finger, practically forcing it to fuck him. He couldn't find words and occasionally, he was forgetting to breathe, "C-Ca-Cameron... G-Gonna... A-Ah~ Fuck!" Jackson had to cover his own mouth as he came again. This time, he was sure Campbell could feel it since he was squeezing down and twitching against his finger.

When the older man lifted his head, panting, Jackson slid to the floor and pressed their lips together, not giving a single shit about tasting himself. Campbell cupped Jackson's back with one hand as the other reached between his legs, adding his index finger to the mix, goal being to stretch the other out, moaning gruffly as he opened one eye to see the young man riding his fingers in a fluid motion.

Campbell pulled out of the kiss to breathe, trying, smiling at Jackson as he did, "What a champ! Sure you're ready for this, little man?" He challenged.

"I will be in a little bit." Jax admitted as he felt the fingers separate inside him. Foreplay was always key and they had enough to loosen him up as well as he could go. This, however wasn't Jackson's first time with something up there. He'd used dildos before. He'd just never had a real person in him. He was, admittedly, a little excited thinking about it, riding the man's fingers a little harder, "I-I think m-maybe I'm ready..." He panted, voice garbled from the tongue hanging out of his mouth again and wrapping his arms around the man's neck.

Campbell looked at the other up and down, sweat glistening his body and as he pulled his fingers out, he put them in his mouth, moaning while he sucked on them. Jackson's head spun a little. He was dizzy all of a sudden, standing up on his feet and stumbling a little, "J-Jax?" Asked Campbell, belt undone and standing to walk over and assumedly check on his well being. Jackson waved his hand dismissively, pulling a bottle of water from a drawer and chugging it down before tossing it in the trash and pointing to the bed.

Campbell raised a brow and sat down on the edge of the bed, pulling off his pants and sliding his briefs down his legs. Jackson took a step forward before pausing. His dick was-... Holy shit it was nice, "C-Can you sit with your legs o-on the bed?" He asked softly. Campbell raised a brow, but complied as Jackson crawled onto the bed in front of Campbell. He pressed their lips together as he slid his arms around the man's neck. He positioned himself above his cock as Campbell placed his hands on his hips, moaning as he slipped inside slowly, at the pace Jackson chose and no faster.

Once he was all the way in, Jackson stayed still for a moment, Campbell pushing him away by his shoulders and scanning his face, "You okay?" He asked, gently brushing a strand of hair from Jackson's face and rubbing his cheek. He looked genuinely concerned and it made the young man wonder if he was like this with all his lovers or if he was just special again.

"I'm okay. You're just a little bigger than I'm used to." He circled his hips around once, twice, third time's the charm. It wasn't exactly comfortable, yet, but Jackson could definitely tolerate it. The young man grunted a little, moving his hips up and down like he had with the fingers there before. His face was red and his body felt like pins and needles under the skin, but he was enjoying it, "Mmm~ Fuck. Your cock is good, Cameron~" he whispered in the man's ear, making him visibly shiver, keeping his eyes open to look at the spectacle.

"I d-didn't expect you to be this way... This... into it." Campbell admitted, grunting and moving his hips up to meet with Jackson as he went down, making he younger man shake slightly as they connected, voice cracking as he cried out softly. Testing his limits, Campbell did it again.

"Should I not be?" Asked Jackson, recovering from the cock slamming hard into him.

"No. You're fucking perfect!" Campbell growled, "So fucking perfect~" he gripped his hips, maybe a little too tightly, but Jackson wasn't about to complain. It wasn't too rough, but still felt raw and unfiltered.

"Lay m-me on the bed..." The young man panted.

"What?" Asked Campbell, confused.

"Lay me down and fuck me. I-I wanna wrap my legs around you." His voice shook as he spoke. He was feeling good. Loose, "P-Please..."

Campbell nodded slowly, looking at the other as if to see if he was serious, "You're different... right n-now. Bolder... it's sexy!" The man said as he pulled the other off of his cock and laid him down, admiring all of him before pushing back in, beginning to thrust a little faster. Jackson wrapped his legs around him, moaning weakly as his toes curled and his back arched. Campbell bent down and kissed him again, gently tugging on his lower lip to get him to open his mouth. They were in such a twisted embrace, voices mixing as their tongues swirled around each other. It was pure bliss.

Campbell let out a moan, fading into a grunt as he tried to keep his voice down. He lifted head from the kiss, reaching a hand down to circle around the swollen clit. Jackson threw his head back, body starting to shake. He was getting close, but he wasn't sure how Campbell was getting along. That was, until his rhythm in his hips began to slow, moving harder instead of faster.

As Jackson's breath quickened and his mouth gaped wide, Campbell covered his mouth, "Shhhh... Don't want kids to untraumatize." He joked before letting out a low string of curse words. Jackson tightened on Campbell's cock as he cried out against his hand. He could feel himself squeezing down, trying to breathe evenly, but it just wasn't coming to him..

As he helped Jax roll out his orgasm with his hand, Campbell pulled himself out, spurts of warm cum landing on Jackson's belly and chest, spilling a little over the sides in some areas. The man grunted as he fell to the side, Jackson still twitching as his eyes stayed rolled back for just a second longer.

Covered in sweat and breathing heavily, Campbell looked over to his cum-covered... boyfriend? Were they dating? Or were they just fuck buddies? Neither of them really seemed to know, "Guess you're gonna have to wash your nasty sheets now." Campbell laughed, making Jackson snort lightly.

"Shut the fuck up!"


	9. Best Friend Gossip

Part 9:

Jackson awoke the next day, checking his alarm, only to remember that it was his day off. He could do whatever he pleased. Whatever... What did he please? He would like to just... relax, maybe? Possibly take a nap with Campbell during the older man's break today. He looked at his his phone and saw a text from Shilo. Oh! He could spend the day with her. She was on bathroom duty today so she'd be stuck there with no one to talk to.

After chugging a quick breakfast shake, Jackson put on his clothes and walked to the bathroom, only to pause at Shilo already waiting at the door, "ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME, DUDE?!" She shouted, pulling him into the girl's room, alone.

Jackson looked a little terrified, unsure what was going on, "I-I don't-"

"Details! Now!" She demanded, playfully shoving the other and causing Jackson to sigh in relief. Okay. She wasn't angry. Good. But he still had no clue what she was talking about. He tilted his head, visually expressing his confusion and making Shilo groan, "You and I were supposed to have a pajama night last night! Remember?! But when I came to your tent you were getting your fucking pussy popped."

"Ugh." The young man scoffed, "Can we not phrase it that way?" Jackson looked away from her, a little embarrassed that she'd heard. Or... maybe she peaked her head in and-, "You didn't like... look inside, did you."

"Un... fortunately..." Admitted the girl, "If that were a porno, that would be my go to! Old dude fucks little twink boy!"

"Shilo!"

"Sorry. Just.. yeah. I saw you like riding his fingers and shit. If you weren't my best friend I wouldn't have left. So. I repeat. Details, bitch!!" She clapped her hands, bouncing on her feet a little, "Fuck the bathrooms! This is so important that I don't even care you flaked out on pajama night!" Shilo shook her friend excitedly, "Is he big?!"

"Shilo... this is embarrassing."

"Come ON, Jackson! You seemed to be enjoying it last night." She teased as he puffed up his cheeks, "Fiiiiiine! Not here, but can you tell me when you definitely let me come over tonight for a rescheduling of the pajama party?" She pouted, making Jackson sigh.

"Yes, okay. Fine. I'll... give you the details tonight. I just need to let Cameron know that I'm busy. He wanted to make dinner for me in his cabin again."

"Ew. Does he like... like you or something?" Shilo looked a little disturbed by the notion, "I didn't know he was capable of feeling something for someone other than himself... weird to think about... buuut... Maybe you're just what he needs to get his soul saved."

Jackson snorted, pushing her away, "What? His soul is fine! He cares. He's just got a tough shell to crack."

"Is the part to crack through his shell in his dick?"

"No! It's in his heart like everyone else's is!" Jackson blushed.

"Seems to be in his dick." She smirked.

"He liked me before we like... got there! He like took care of me when I got hurt in the mess hall..." Jackson covered his face as Shilo tilted her head.

"Did you cry in front of the guy?" She questioned, squinting her eyes suspiciously.

"Y-...Yeah? A little? On accident, though!" He stammered, clearly embarrassed.

"You crafty fucker! You know that not a single soul on this planet can't resist your tears! It would break the heart of the most hardened criminals!!" Shilo exclaimed, lifting her arms dramatically.

"Do you... have a point you're trying to make?"

"You reeled him him in with your tears and them BAM! Fucked the willpower out of him. You crafty fucker!" She repeated.

"I did no such thing!" Not intentionally, at least. He seemed rather defensive about it, face super bright red to the point that Shilo looked a little concerned.

"Real talk, dude... Do you... actually have a thing for him?" Her voice was gentle for a moment.

"Y-Yeah... maybe... I-I don't know! He just... makes me feel... good. And like not in a weird way. I'm less afraid to use the shower alone because I know I'll always be joined by someone willing to protect me. I like just listening to him talk about his life. He opens up to me and that makes me feel..." Jackson covered his face, whimpering. He was super embarrassed, but there was an underlying happiness to it all.

"Special? Gross..." Shilo rolled her eyes and pulled her friend in for a hug, "I'm like... glad he makes you happy, though." She admitted, "But if he ever fucking hurts you in any way, they will literally never find his body." She hissed.

"You're a good friend, Shilo."

"I know, bitch."


	10. The Magician Seeks a Bear

Part 10:

Shilo exited Jax's tent as his alarm blared in her ear. She hated waking up early and had every intention on going back to her side of the girl's cabin and sleeping an extra few hours in her bed, "O-Okay... See you in a few, Shy." Jackson yawned and got up out of bed to gather his things for the shower. As soon as he stepped out, he was bombarded by children, yelling something or other about Harrison being in trouble, "Hey. Whoa. Wait! One at a time! Nurf. Explain." He demanded.

The bully had his hands in his hair, clearly freaked out with the rest of them, but he was always the most rational speaker of the group, "Harrison said he needed a fucking bear or some shit for his act and just like went in the woods to look for one!" Nurf explained. Jackson appreciated him being concise and quick with his explanation, even if it wasn't news he wanted to hear.

"Nurf! Great explanation! Go find another counselor and send them in after me. I need to go get him before he does anything dumb." The man commanded again, placing a hand on Nurf's head, "We really need to get you into public speaking or a debate team." He said softly before turning and running off into the woods after the little boy. Harrison had always been his favorite, after all.

The kids ran in the opposite direction towards the camp, Nurf running up to Campbell who was having a discussion with David, "Harrison went to look for bears in the woods and Jackson chased after him alone!"

"WHAT?!" Yelled both men before exchanging a glance and booking it in the direction the larger boy pointed to.

"Harrison!!" Shouted Jackson as he ran over to the boy that was currently trying to coax a baby bear out of a cave, "Are you insane?! You cannot have a pet bear!" Jackson scolded.

"I think an animal in my disappearing act would make it that much more tantalizing." Harrison explained.

The man was about to explain why that was a dumb plan as gently as he could, but his peripherals caught a movement in the cave. His eyes went wide at the large shadow approaching them, angrily growling. Jax gulped, taking the now quaking boy into his arms and holding him right against his body for protection, "Shhhh. Keep calm. Let's back away slowly and-" he was cut off by a roar from the mama bear as she reared her back legs and got ready to charge, "Oh... fuck..." he whimpered.

Next thing Jackson knew, he was running, the large creature at his heels and Harrison holding tightly onto him. Jackson had the advantage in only one way, holding out his free hand to tightly swivel his way around small trees and giving him a much sharper turn than the bear. The only issue with this method were the cuts on his hand and arm forming from gripping and spinning on rough bark, breaking his skin and getting worse with each tree. Another disadvantage was that he couldn't run towards camp and put other children in danger. He was stuck running deeper and deeper into the woods and getting more and more hurt.

Jackson ended up near the dock with just a second or so to spare. With this time, he threw Harrison into the boat at the dock and shoved it away with his foot so he could be further away from the bear, not even having enough time after this to turn around before the creature lunged and landed on his shoulders. Harrison watched from the boat, shaking and tearing up.

Just as the claws of the bear began to partially dig into Jackson, the weight of the creature leaving him in a fair amount of pain, he suddenly felt its body jerk off of him, claws scraping down his back and ripping his shirt before there was a splash in the water. Jackson realized as he lifted his head that it had slammed pretty hard into the dock when he was knocked over. He looked at the lake and saw Campbell with the bear in a headlock, fighting for the bear to submit in the shallow end of the water.

After a moment, David was helping Jackson up and a wet Cameron Campbell was trudging out of the water behind the soaked bear as it ran back to its cave. The man had a few scratches on him, but nothing deep. He was an expert at taming bears, after all, "What the fuck were you thinking?!" Campbell shouted at Jackson who was leaning on David and panting.

"E-Excuse me?" The young man leaned forward, squinting.

"You ran after some kid?! When you knew bears were involved?!"

"He would've died, Cameron! I saved that kid's fucking life!"

"And then I had to save yours! What makes your life worth less than his?!"

"I'm an adult, Cameron! We protect children!" Jackson's face was turning red as the two yelled. David's eyes darted back and forth between them.

"I forbid you from doing anything like that again!" Yelled Campbell, louder than he probably intended. He opened his mouth to say something else before stopping. The look on Jackson's face told him he'd fucked up. He fucked up bad.

"You.. what me? Forbid?"

"I-.." Campbell gulped, "I should've worded that differently, I'm-..."

"Are you my fucking keeper?! My father?!" Jax's vision filled with tears. He was shaking. His eyes were wide and his brows were scrunched together in the worst and most angry scowl that could ever cross another person's face. Campbell had definitely fucked up with his word choice, "Go fuck yourself!" He spat at the older man, moving away from David and helping Harrison to the deck, picking him up in his bloody arms. His face softened as he began talking to the boy, calming him down and walking him back to camp. He left the two men behind, David feeling extremely uncomfortable and Campbell realizing he had a huge mess to fix. He wasn't sure if he'd ever seen someone so angry before.


	11. I’m Sorry

Part 11:

After dropping Harrison off safely and handing him off to Gwen to calm him down, Jackson went back to his tent to grab his clothes. He still needed his morning shower and definitely needed to clean his wounds. He stopped at the bathroom to grab his first aid things he needed before walking into the showers and taking off his clothes. He slipped on his swim trunks as usual and walked over to the shower. He gulped as he turned on the water to a chilly setting and let it rain over his torn up arm from using the trees to keep him out of harm. A loud cry escaped his throat before he crumbled to the floor, sniffling and held his arm close to his body.

Water rained down Jackson's back as his shoulders began to move up and down. His nose and eyes were red, his tears falling down and mixing with the shower, leading them all to the same drain in the middle of the room. Every cut and scrape the water touched stung and burned. He felt like he was on fire, blood making its way down his body and turning the drain water to orange and then red.

"Jack-...son...?" Campbell froze at the door when entering the shower room. He scanned the sight before him with wide eyes before rushing over and lifting the younger man into his arms, uncaring that he was getting blood on himself, "Here... let's get you cleaned and patched up." He spoke softly, taking him away from the water, "Your wounds are too fresh for a shower. You'll bleed out." He said, drying him off a little at a time so as not to irritate any wounds and once dry, he grabbed a few cotton swabs, soaking them in alcohol, and began dabbing his arm with them. Each touch with the swabs made the young man flinch, tears still rolling down his face, "Pretty crafty... out running the bear by using your smaller stature... reckless, but crafty." He said as he began softly wrapping his arm with gauze. The bleeding was slow enough that gauze would be enough to end it.

It was silent for a moment before Jackson spoke, voice cracking and shaking, "C-Couldn't h-have said that earlier?" He asked, trying to keep in his anger. The man was taking care of his wounds, after all.

"I'm a piece of shit, Jaxxy... I know you, by now. You'd do anything for these kids... I was just..." Campbell gulped, not really used to caring for a person this way, "I'm terrified. You're the best fucking thing that's ever crossed my miserable existence." He admitted, tightening the gauze and securing it with a pin. Campbell then went to Jackson's back which was still bleeding pretty heavily from the claw marks. He grabbed the towel and put pressure on all three scratches since they were close together. Jax hissed, "And... I should be... apologizing for..." Campbell sighed again, "...talking to you that way. What I should've said was... w-was... please don't do anything reckless like that again if you... have the option. I would've preferred you have grabbed me or even that Sherry girl... She's pretty smart."

"Shilo?"

"Yeah. That's what I said."

Jackson chuckled a little before the man started cleaning the back wounds. He gripped the bench and tried his best to stay still while the man finished cleaning and dressing him, "How's your head?" Campbell asked, "I saw you land."

"Hurts." Jackson admitted before Campbell returned to his front and put a finger in the younger man's face. Jackson followed it from side to side, up and down. He knew a vision test when he saw one, "Am I gonna live, Doc?" He joked lightly.

"Yeah, kid. You'll be fine. You don't seem to have a concussion and none of your wounds will even need stitches. There was just a lot of them." The older man put a hand on Jackson's cheek, "I'm sorry..." he repeated and Jackson noticed his eyes becoming just a little more shiny at the bottom, even beginning to redden before the man sniffed and pulled him in for a hug. Jackson returned it, placing his head on the man's shoulder.

"I guess I forgive you." He teased, "As long as you make me a big bowl of Mac and cheese tonight for dinner."

Campbell chuckled huskily, "Awful bold of you to ask a Campbell man to cook, but I suppose a little box macaroni and cheese is an easy enough task to get us back to normal again."

The older man helped Jackson change into some clean clothes before they walked out to find Harrison waiting for them. The look on the boy's face absolutely broke Jackson's heart as he bent down next to him, "Is... everything okay? Are you hurt."

The boy didn't answer, at first. Choosing to wrap his skinny arms around Jackson's neck and hug him, "I'm sorry... I'm really sorry! You got so hurt because of me." Jackson held him close as the boy poured out the way he felt, "It's all my fault."

"No-no... Harrison. It's okay! I'm okay. Everything is okay." He rubbed the boy's back, "Mr. Campbell fixed me all up."

"But I heard you scream..."

Harrison protested. Jackson sighed, pulling the boy out of the hug, "Yes. It hurts. Wounds hurt. But you wanna know what? Wounds heal. And when they do, you become stronger. You learn from your mistakes. This works for all of the wounds." He pokes a finger to Harrison's chest and smiled, "Even in your heart. Everything is gonna be okay, buddy. I promise." Jackson ruffled the boy's hair, picking him up and standing, despite the muscles and wounds that were screaming for him not to. He ignored them, "Now, come on. You're gonna miss lunch time." Jackson said, looking back at Campbell and timing his head, wanting him to follow.

Campbell smiled thoughtfully at Jax before following close behind. Maybe these kids weren't so bad, after all.


	12. David Finds Out

Part 12:

Jackson spent the next few days recovering from his wounds, David working the schedule around so that he wouldn't have to do but so much labor. Between Campbell and Shilo, Jackson always had someone helping him clean the wounds on his back until they were nice and scabbed up. At that point, he was really beginning to feel better. And after that fight, his complex relationship with Campbell seemed more like something steady. It was becoming something he was accustomed to. Hiding it in public and getting cozy when they were alone.

On the fourth morning after the incident, Jackson felt pretty good. He couldn't wait to get his morning shower and ask David for more things to do around the camp. When he opened the flap, though, the redhead was already waiting for him, "Good morning, Jackson!" He sounded nervous. Why on earth would David be nervous around him, "I-... Wanted to talk to you, but I've been waiting for you to feel better." The taller man admitted.

"Oh? Must be serious." Jackson teased, hoping it wasn't, really, "What's up?"

"It's not really important. It's just that... as my duty as co-owner of the camp, I try to make personal business around here... known to me. And I wanted to talk about the fight you and Mr. Campbell had."

Jackson groaned a little, hunching his shoulders, "Wh-What about it?"

"There seemed to be a lot of... tension there. Tensions that aren't usually present unless... well... two people care about each other." David's eyes darted away, he didn't seem to want to be having this conversation, either, "Not that it's a bad thing or against the rules, but are you and Mr. Campbell... well..."

Jackson drug a hand down his face , pulling the skin down, "Yes! Okay we-... we had sex! It wasn't a huge deal! I just-... D-David?"

David's face went white as a sheet before every bit of blood rushed to his face, "I was... going to ask if you were best friends... B-But I'm... glad to know... the truth?" He gave a supportive smile and thumbs up as Jackson covered his face, whining. Fuck! What now?

"I-... I'm sorry I thought you were about to-... Shit." Jackson repeated the movement of dragging his fingers down his face. He should've known David was too dense to pick up anything of a sexual nature between two people.

David put his hands up, looking anxious to get out of the conversation, "Oh. No-no. It's totally my fault for prying! I should've just-... Let it be." He gulped, "Just... One more question?" David held up his pointer finger and Jackson nodded, giving the man permission to ask, "You're being discreet about it, right?" He asked shyly, "I really don't want the children to... see that, definitely, but I wouldn't feel comfortable seeing it either..."

"It happened once, David. Late at night and in my tent." David sighed, putting a hand on his chest. He smiled a little and placed his hand on Jackson's head, ruffling his hair.

"Did you two ever make up? After the fight? You seem okay around each other, but since I can't even tell when my employees are involved sexually, I'm not sure I can tell if two people have made up."

Jackson smiled, putting a hand on David's chest, "It's all good, he gave me an honest apology... which was more than I expected. And then we had dinner." The look on David's face as he intertwined his fingers together said it all. He brought his hands to the side of his head and lifted a leg, smiling as wide as he could, "It's not a big deal!" Jackson protested, "No need to get all googly-eyed."

David chuckled and sighed, "Well, now that I know, I can better pick your schedule to align with his. For date nights and such." He winked, nudging a blushy, but happy Jackson.

"Thanks, David. You're the coolest boss I've ever had."

"Don't mention it. We're also friends!" David said softly before turning on his heels and walking away, quite awkwardly, but he looked like he wasn't upset. That was good.

After his... interesting talk, Jackson continued to the shower, joining Campbell and telling him what just happened with David. In response, the older man burst out into laughter, "You're not upset that he knows?" Asked the young man shyly.

"That Davey knows? Nah. He's a... decent guy. I'm sure all he'll do is meddle and try to help. No need to stress, baby." Campbell froze at the last word that came from his mouth. So did Jackson. They looked at each other and blinked for a good moment.

"Baby?" Repeated Jax, a smug smile on his face before biting his lip to stifle a chortle.

"I-It slipped out! Don't give me that look, squirt!" Defended Campbell, looking a little embarrassed, slightly angry.

Jackson couldn't help the loud laughter that erupted from his rather tiny frame. The tone was an interesting one, like his throat was scrunched up tightly and his nostrils were wide. He sounded like a really old Jewish lady. This was the laugh he hid from the world. The one that he was ashamed of. Filled with ugly snorts of air and trouble getting his breath, "Fucking-! You're so upset! Ab-About-" He held his stomach, shifting into a maniacal giggle. This was a lot funnier to him than it would be to someone else, it seemed.

As Jackson calmed down a little, he noticed Campbell's blank face and bright red cheeks. Has he done something wrong? "You okay... Daddy?" He teased.

Campbell grumbled, turning his face away, angrily washing his hair, still red in the face, "Save that for the bedroom and Daddy'll show you just what he can do. The man said, closing his eyes as he let the soap drip down his body from his hair. Jackson would very much like to try that later tonight.


End file.
